The monastery of the order of preachers

Photos and description

The monks of the Dominican order, also called order of preachers, first set foot in the New world in September 1510. At first they were only three. Over the next year, their community has increased by 11 monks who arrived from Spain. Then the Spanish king Charles V ordered to build in Santo Domingo, the first in North and South America, the Dominican monastery, which survived until our days. The Dominican monks were able to begin to explore their new home just in 1517. Moreover, the structure still continued work on his finishing.

In 1530 the monastery began building a Church which was completed two years later. At its solemn opening was attended by two monks of the three that first came to Santo Domingo. The main decoration of the Church of the Dominicans is considered a unique painting on the ceiling. It depicts the zodiacal circle, which is quite unusual for a Catholic facility.

For the first few centuries of its existence the Dominican monastery is almost rebuilt. He managed to survive during a storm in 1545. He also suffered at the hands of pirates Francis Drake. Historians claim that this building was the only building in the city is not interested in pirates. In the XVII century in Santo Domingo there were two earthquakes that slightly damaged monastery of the order of preachers. By 1746 the Holy monastery restored in the spirit of the Spanish Baroque.